The Death of Arisawa Tatsuki
by dimonyo-anghel
Summary: While fighting hollows that have come to avenge Aizen, Tatsuki dies and fellow characters reminisce about her and the relationship they shared with her.


**AN: Okay this is my first Bleach fic and while it still involves shinigami and the like, it totally does not follow the story-line at all. While some of the characters may seem ****OOC**** to avid Bleach fans, this is just fan fiction and I'm just writing as I think so don't flame or sue me for writing this story because I don't own it! Also, I have no idea how if Japanese funerals differ so don't hate, appreciate.**

**Tatsuki – age 17 (for frame of reference)**

_Flashback_

**The Death of Arisawa Tatsuki**

The tension in the room was stifling. No one could believe that someone so close to them would be one of the first to die. But that was the problem wasn't it? The one person they thought would be able to survive without even knowing what the enemy was died because they didn't trust her enough. While they were physically close, having shared classrooms and school yard space, they no longer took the time to talk to her about how their day was or what issues they had going on in their life.

The only form of acknowledgement they could remember giving her was the occasional greeting of _hey, mornin', _or just a tilt of their head. None of them could remember the last real conversation they had with her where, instead of lies, they spoke the truth. They couldn't remember the last time they looked at her and not have a false smile on their face. The only thing they can see now when they think of her is the resignation and agony etched onto her face as the blade pierced into her chest and wonder why they took her for granted.

**_-linebreak-_**

Karin stood in the corner; her shoulders slumped causing her hair to cover the tears that were falling down her cheeks as she held the hand of the sobbing Yuzu. A bitter frown formed on her face as she recalled the cause of death that they and many of the other visitors were told. She scoffed, as if an ordinary, non-supernatural mugger could sneak up behind one of the strongest martial artist and stab her.

Karin understood that the truth couldn't be revealed but what she couldn't understand was why no one was saying or doing anything. She knew that her father was comforting Tatsuki-neesan's parents whom were outside of the room unable to face the body of their only daughter. That Orihime was kneeling in front of the coffin, making no noise or movement besides the minute shivers visible only because her hairpin swayed with each vibration. Her brother's shinigami friends were in their spirit forms, stiff as a board as if they didn't know what they should do especially since they weren't as close to Tatsuki-neesan as they were to the group that was avoiding looking in the direction of the coffin from their position next to Orihime.

Most importantly, Karin didn't know where her brother was and even though she could empathize with him, the fact that he was missing made her wonder if she should be angry at him for not being there to comfort his siblings or if she wanted to start sobbing herself because her role-model is dead and there was no one left to snap her brother out of his funk.

**_-linebreak-_**

Orihime kneeled before the coffin containing the body of her best friend and wondered if she was even allowed to call herself that when she couldn't save her. Orihime couldn't lift her head to look directly at the soul-less body, with her eyes clenched closed, she gripped her black skirt and finally allowed all the emotions she'd been keeping at bay to let loose as tears and shivers rocked throughout her body.

Her tears fell fast as she tried to remember the last time she had a sleepover with Tatsuki or the last time she hung out with her in general but failed, causing Orihime to bite on her bottom lip as her face scrunched as if in pain. She couldn't understand how she allowed herself to ignore Tatsuki after all the things her spiky-haired friend did for her and as the memory of their last moments together came to mind, Orihime could no longer keep her cries quiet.

_Orihime jumped back from one of Aizen's left over minions, (the same minions that decided to get revenge for their fallen leader), unaware of the pieces of concrete behind her, causing her to fall and become vulnerable to the incoming attack. As she panicked, Orihime let out a breath as a figure jumped in between herself and the hollow. But her breath began to speed up again as she realized that Tatsuki was now in the way of danger. Before she could yell out a warning she was surprised to see her friend fall into a defensive stance. _

_Tatsuki punched the humanoid hollow and watched it sail to the other side of the battlefield before turning to Orihime and giving her a bright grin. Although tired from using her powers, when Orihime saw the boyish grin, she couldn't help but smile back at her friend before she tackled her into a hug._

_Suddenly embarrassed, Orihime couldn't help but glance down toward her feet before she came to the realization that Tatsuki was here and that she punched a hollow. The gears in her brain moved faster and faster as she tried to comprehend it. TATSUKI. Punched. Hollow. Which meant that Tatsuki could see the same things she could, and that she probably knew that Orihime had been lying to her all this time._

_"I-I'm sorry, Tatsuki-chan," Orihime stuttered ashamed that she'd been lying to one of her most precious friends and that she was always distracted by others whenever she wanted to make up for the time they lost._

_Tatsuki pulled back from the hug Orihime still had her in before lifting a hand to the back of her head and rubbing it in a classic Goku-imitation. "Hey, no problem, I would have done it for anybody." With that said Tatsuki made sure Orihime wasn't injured before turning around to leave. _

_"Wait!" Orihime yelled uncharacteristically, feeling as if this were the one chance she had to save the friendship between them. However a scream raced through the air at the same time and Orihime was left in the dust as her once-best friend ran off to help the screamer. Feeling as if she failed in her personal task, Orihime hoped she'd be able to talk to Tatsuki when all of this was over, but the feeling of dread nagged at her before she gave in and followed after the fighter in hopes of proving her feelings wrong._

**_-linebreak-_**

Renji was never close to Arisawa Tatsuki. It was a fact that the majority of time they spent in the same room was when they were talking to a shared friend. This didn't mean that Renji didn't know anything about the chick, especially since she was all Orihime was able to talk about as they got to know each other. As he stood with the other Shinigami, Renji wonders if he and Tatsuki could have been friends if she had powers like Sado and the others or if he weren't a shinigami. When he thinks of all the things they have in common, like their protective and sometimes brash attitudes, and the urge to fight that he sometimes saw when he looked into her eyes, Renji regrets that he never took the time to become friends with her, especially as he looks upon the mutual friends they shared and the situation they were all in.

**_-linebreak-_**

Shukuro Tsukishima knew that it would have been better if he hadn't come, but Tatsuki was his childhood friend _too_ and he wouldn't allow his conflict with Ichigo and his friends to come between that. So when he walked into the room his eyes flickered to the movement on his left, allowing himself to watch as hakama covered hands rested on the hilt of their owner's sword. Tsukishima knew that they wouldn't attack or do anything about his presence for now because of the other mourners. Thus giving him the chance to ignore them for the time being as he walked straight towards the coffin.

As he glimpsed at the face of his childhood friend, he couldn't help but run his hand over her cold, lifeless cheek and up to her hair, in which he placed the moon hairpin he got Tatsuki when she was ten and didn't mind receiving gifts. With a sad smile on his face he bent down to place a kiss on her cheek, unmindful of the tear that fell from his eye to her closed ones and wished he had had the courage to confess to her when she was alive. With a final whisper of goodbye, he walked to the door, but before he left, he paused and looked toward the person standing outside the frame. "She loved you, you know?" he muttered, almost like an accusation, before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

**_-linebreak-_**

_A scream raced through the air as Ichigo finished off the hollows in his vicinity. With a determined look on his face he flash stepped to the source and blinked in surprise when he saw Tatsuki punch a hole through the hollow with a fist of fire. However he shook the surprise off his face and stormed angrily toward his shorter friend. _

_"Tatsuki! What are you doing here? I told you that this stuff doesn't concern you!" _

_The black-haired girl frowned at the intruder as she crossed her arms and lifted her left eyebrow indignantly. "You're not the boss of me Ichigo! I can do whatever I want and if I want to punch a hole in something than I will!"_

_"It's for your own good! Why don't you listen to me for once and don't bother yourself with things that don't involve you!" He yelled back in anger._

_"What does it matter! It's not like we're friends! Remember that Ichigo! You made your choice, I'm not important enough to you to be told the truth. And guess what? You don't matter to me anymore either…" Tatsuki started off yelling, but as she continued her voice grew softer and softer, as her emotions turned from anger to sorrow. Hurt gripped at Ichigo's heart as her words echoed in his head, '**You don't matter to me**.' _

_"Y-you don't mean that Tatsuki!" He whispered fiercely, gripping onto her shoulders as if he were going to shake the truth out of her. When all she did was remain silent and stare straight at him, Ichigo let go of her, shocked that their friendship had deteriorated so badly. He watched her expression, hoping that it was just a cruel joke, but his hope turned to confusion as the expression on her face turned from determined to horror and back to determined as she looked at something from behind his shoulder. With a swift punch to the gut and a throw that must have used up all of her strength, Tatsuki managed to push Ichigo out of the way just as a blade pierced through her chest. _

**_-linebreak-_**

It felt as if he were frozen in a time cycle as the memory of the event repeated over and over again in his head. Everywhere he went reminded him of Tatsuki, and in turn reminded him of her last words and actions. Ichigo was so conflicted that if his hollow wanted to, he could have taken advantage of the situation and taken control, but for some reason his hollow remained silent. With a heavy sigh, the substitute-Shinigami walked into the building the wake was being held and took in his surroundings. Every person he walked passed would stop what they were saying and stare after him as if he were an animal at the zoo and it was beginning to frustrate him.

His frustration increased as he took in the sight from his position before the door, his evil cousin was in front of Tatsuki's coffin, as if he had a right to be there. But before Ichigo could confront him, a hand fell on his shoulder stopping him in his tracks.

"Let him go Ichigo," the gruff voice of his father ordered, "Tatsuki was his friend too." Ichigo wanted to protest, but he did remember a time when Tsukishima wasn't trying to kill him and his friends and instead stole all of Tatsuki's attention. Anger rose at the memories, yet Ichigo didn't move from his spot and instead watched as his cousin walked toward him in order to leave. "She loved you, you know?" His cousin said before he disappeared. Ichigo wiped a hand against his face and reluctantly muttered to the empty space around him, "Yeah, but she loved you too."

The orange-haired teen stepped into the room and froze as all the sounds stopped for a second before returning tenfold. Too anxious to head directly to the coffin, Ichigo headed to the corner his sisters were first and was surprised when two sets of arms wrapped around his waist like a boa. He could feel moisture soaking through his shirt, causing his own eyes to tear up as he placed his hands upon their heads in comfort. As minutes passed, the bodies against him began to feel heavier making him realize that his sisters were exhausted, so he sat them against the wall before removing his jacket and placing it over the both of them.

Ichigo minutely nodded to the other Shinigami in acknowledgment as he passed by and was stopped by a girl with his hair color. "Orihime…." He said uncertainly, afraid he would cause her to start crying again.

"I miss her… I didn't even get to tell her the truth or apologize to her Ichigo-kun! I feel as if it's all my fault because I didn't warn her and I could save her. Why couldn't I save her Ichigo-kun? What's the use of having powers that can reverse effects if I can't save my best-friend?" Orihime released Ichigo but before he could comfort her, Ishida, Sado, and the other Sshinigami waved him along as they comforted the distraught girl, knowing that if he had a valid excuse Ichigo would try to hold off confronting the empty body of his friend.

With heavy steps Ichigo glanced into the coffin, searching for any sign that would make this less real that it already was. When nothing was found, one look at the moon hairpin was enough to cause Ichigo to let go all of his emotion. "Why did you have to die? They were aiming for me Tatsuki! It should have been me! If it were me I might have been able to survive but no, you couldn't listen to me just once! I never even got to apologize for lying to you and making you cry. I never got to say I love you. I'm sorry Tatsuki-chan, so sorry."

**End**

AN: Sorry for all the grammatical mistakes, I don't really edit what I write when I'm done -_-"


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